2015 Resident’s Voice Challenge: 40 Words of Wisdom
The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (Consumer Voice) is pleased to announce the 2015 Resident’s
Voice Challenge! Creative writing and artistic expression are meaningful and compelling ways to communicate the
importance of residents’ rights and how these rights can be carried out in all long-term care settings.
Residents' Rights Month is designated by the Consumer Voice and is celebrated in October each year to honor residents
living in all long-term care facilities and consumers receiving care in their homes and communities.
For this year’s Resident’s Voice Challenge, Residents are encouraged to pick up their pens, dust off their type writers or
use a computer to display their writing or artistic skills by submitting essays, poems, artwork, drawings, or videos related
to the theme for Residents' Rights Month 2015 "CARE Matters".
Entries submitted for the Resident’s Voice Challenge will be compiled and displayed in a variety of formats. We are
asking residents and consumers to submit 40 words of wisdom to coincide with the celebration of Consumer Voice’s 40th
anniversary. Some entries may appear in our “40 Words of Wisdom” book (on sale this summer). Other submissions
may appear on the Consumer Voice website, be featured at the 2015 Annual Conference, be highlighted in our weekly enewsletter - The Gazette, or be used in additional forums. Every resident who submits an entry will receive a certificate
for participating in the 2015 Resident’s Voice.
Submission Guidelines
Residents are encouraged to think of the following questions when creating their entry:
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What does quality care mean to you?
What does “quality of life” mean to you?
What is the best part of your day?
What makes your nursing home or facility a special place for you to call home?
What, if anything, would you change to make your experience at your nursing home feel more like home?
Why is it important to you to have your preferences regarding your care and daily life heard and respected?
What advice would you give to family, friends or caregivers?
What is important to you and what wisdom would you like to impart on the next generation?
Residents are encouraged to be creative when crafting their entry. Possible types of entries include:
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Essay
Poem or song
Artwork, drawings or photos
Word collage or acrostic poem using “CARE” or “CARE Matters”
Video or audio recording
Participation Criteria and Rules
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The deadline for submissions is May 15, 2015.
Submissions must be produced by a long-term care consumer or consumers. Relatives, friends and
facility staff may be involved in assisting residents with the challenge but may not submit their own
entries without creative involvement of at least one long-term care consumer.
Submissions may be made via email or snail mail (see instructions below).
Video or audio submissions should be sent via email as MP3, WAV, MOV, or MP4 files or via a YouTube
or Vimeo link.
Residents are encouraged to keep their entries to approximately 40 words in order to be considered
for inclusion in the “40 Words of Wisdom” book.
Any photo submissions must be accompanied by a photo release form (provided on the Consumer
Voice website) and signed by anyone appearing in the photo.
Every resident who submits an entry will receive a certificate for participating.
The Consumer Voice maintains the right to utilize entries in a variety of forums including the Residents'
Rights Week packet, its websites and other mediums determined appropriate by the Consumer Voice.
The Consumer Voice reserves the right to use submissions, including the photographs and/or
likenesses contained therein for promotional and publicity purposes, at any time, including, but not
limited to posting on the Consumer Voice/NORC websites, inclusion in promotional and other
materials and for display at the Consumer Voice Annual Conference and Meeting.
Mail or Email Submissions to:
Consumer Voice
Attn: Resident’s Voice Submission
1001 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite. 425
Washington DC 20036
OR
Via email to: [email protected]
Any questions about the Resident’s Voice should be directed to [email protected].